Today marks 25 years since the withdrawal of Serbian military and paramilitary criminal forces from Kosovo, marking the end of Serbian occupation.
The Serbian army surrendered due to the ground warfare of the Kosovo Liberation Army and NATO bombings, which forced them to sign the capitulation agreement on June 9, 1999, in Kumanovo.
The agreement was signed by Michael Jackson, the first KFOR commander in Kosovo, and the former Chief of Staff of the Serbian Army, General Nebojsha Pavković, who was indicted by The Hague for war crimes and genocide in Kosovo.
Among other provisions, the agreement stipulated:
c) that all persons and organizations with military capabilities be removed from Kosovo, including the regular army and naval forces, armed civilians, paramilitaries, air forces, the national guard, border police, reservists, military police, intelligence services, MUP, local police, special units, anti-rebellion, anti-terrorist forces, and any group identified as such by KFOR.
d) a 25-kilometer air safety zone beyond Kosovo’s border was established, while point
e) specified a 5-kilometer zone beyond the border with FRY (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia) where heavy weaponry and military forces, except border guards, were not permitted to be stationed.
The attacks, which lasted for 78 days, were halted on June 10, after NATO Supreme Commander General Wesley Clark reported to the North Atlantic Council that the airstrikes had forced the Serbian occupier to begin a complete withdrawal of forces from Kosovo.
With NATO’s entry, the establishment of the temporary mission of the United Nations-UNMIK began in Kosovo, which would administer the country until the declaration of independence on February 17, 2008.
